By GWYNNE DULANEY, Staff Writer
May Day, Haverfest, customs cousins, Blue Bus rides. These are the things that make every Bryn Mawr and Haverford student say, “I’m part of the Bi-Co.” The close consortium experience is one that few other college students understand.
Curious about our seemingly unique bi-college relationship, I’ve conducted a series of interviews that focus on different college consortium experiences around the country. My last interview featured two Bryn Mawr and Haverford students. They talked about both the good (the Bryn Mawr dining halls) and the bad (the sometimes-clashing school personalities) parts of the Bi-College consortium.
But is every college consortium relationship like ours? This time, I interviewed Barnard sophomore student Kira Desimone and a Columbia sophomore Emily Quinn to see how the Barnard-Columbia consortium differs from the Bryn Mawr-Haverford consortium.
Q: Barnard College is technically part of Columbia University. Do students then consider Barnard and Columbia two separate institutions or one cohesive university?
Emily: I think it really depends on who [sic] you talk to. Most people feel that it’s the same, but it depends. For example, Barnard students will first say that they go to Barnard and then Columbia. Because Columbia is structured as a school of general studies, Columbia students will typically [just say Columbia].
Kira: It’s really weird, because sometimes students from women’s colleges will tell me, “Barnard isn’t a women’s college because you can go back and forth with Columbia and you take classes there.” There are also people who are like, “Barnard isn’t an Ivy League either.” A lot of people don’t know how to pit Barnard into a box. It’s also interesting because Barnard students play on Columbia sports teams and they also run and participate in Columbia clubs, but sometimes they will get excluded from being called a Columbia student.
Q: Do you feel that being in a college consortium enhances your overall college experience?
Kira: The consortium enhances my experience because I can take classes there that aren’t offered at Barnard. For example, I take Japanese at Columbia because it isn’t offered at Barnard. It’s also like a backup because for example you can get into a math class at Columbia if you can’t get into a math class at Barnard. It’s an interesting experience for me coming from an all-women’s high school to a technically all-women’s college, but to be taking co-ed classes. It puts me in classrooms with different gender ratios. It’s nice because you have access to a big university, but you go to a small college. Another benefit is that we have access to the Columbia dining hall!
Emily: Yeah. I think because [Columbia and Barnard are] a very non-traditional consortium. It’s a very close relationship. For example, I live in a dorm with half Columbia students and half Barnard students. It allows you to have access to a lot of resources and I think it would not be the same if Columbia and Barnard didn’t have that. It would lose out on a lot the ways that make it unique and special and allow it to be the wonderful school that it is.
Q: How would you describe the relationship between Columbia and Barnard? Would you say that there’s any hostility between Barnard and Columbia?
Kira: It’s awkward. We don’t quite understand the relationship, and the students don’t really understand it either, but… there’s a kind of tension between the two. For example, a lot of people at Columbia feel like people at Barnard use the consortium as a back door into the Ivy League. I really just wish people had more respect for Barnard. For example, the Columbia Mainstage, when that came out, there were a lot of memes that made fun of Barnard students that labeled us as lesbian dykes and femi-nazis.
Emily: Yes, there’s definitely some tension. Specifically, it’s with first years. A lot of time, Columbia first-years don’t understand the relationship that we have with Barnard and will be hostile, especially when Barnard students say that they go to Columbia. They feel like[ the Columbia label] should be more exclusive. That being said, most Columbia students are aware that Barnard is part of Columbia, and that initial hostility generally goes away as students get used to the consortium.
Photo Licensed for Reuse
